1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for providing a multimedia data using an event index, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for providing a multimedia data using an event index in which a biometric signal of a user is detected when the user captures a moving image, the moving image is indexed using the detected biometric signal, and the indexed moving image is selectively edited and/or played back. It is understood that the invention can apply to not only image signal but also audio signal. Further, multimedia data includes audio and/or video data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Portable moving image recording/reproducing apparatuses such as camcorders, digital cameras, and portable terminals not only can capture still/moving images of subjects but also can record the captured still/moving images. Thus, users of such portable moving image recording/reproducing apparatuses can capture images of subjects and record the captured images even when moving from one place to another, and can reproduce, and can play back the recorded images later. Users may use display devices embedded in moving image recording/reproducing apparatuses, personal computer (PC) monitors, or other external display devices such as television (TV) monitors to watch moving images recorded by portable moving image recording/reproducing apparatuses.
Since it generally takes time to watch all moving images recorded by users, the users are likely to edit the recorded moving images by choosing only those which are relatively meaningful. During the editing of the recording moving images, the user may detect their emotions or biometric signals as they watch the recording moving images and then index the recorded moving images using the detected emotions or biometric signals so that the recording moving images can be selectively watched later by people other than the users according to the results of the indexing. Examples of this type of method of indexing multimedia data are disclosed in U.S. Patent Published Application No. 2003-0131351 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,585,521. Such conventional multimedia data indexing methods, however, do not provide ways to choose moving images which are deemed meaningful to users according to emotional/physical state information of the users. In general, in order to detect users' emotional feedback on moving images, a complicated sensing operation must be performed for a long time, and combinations of a variety of signals are needed. Thus, it is difficult to detect the emotional states of the users within a short time using conventional methods involving the use of one type of sensors.
Therefore, it is necessary to develop methods and apparatuses to provide multimedia data which can detect a biometric signal of a user when the user captures a moving image, index part of the moving image corresponding to an emotional event, edit the moving image according to the results of the indexing, and automatically provide a preview of the edited moving image.